VISUAL GUIDES · 46 PAGES

Flowcharts Index

A categorized index of every flowchart on the public site. Each chart lives on the page that explains the concept in depth — this index is for browsing and finding the right one.

Who these are for: Students, builders, drivers, strategists, mentors. Wherever a decision tree or workflow lives, a flowchart now sits at the top of that page to make the logic visible at a glance.

How to read them: Diamonds (◇) are decisions. Yellow boxes are checkpoints with timeouts. Cyan flow = drive actions. Violet flow = pneumatics or external sensors. Red flow = danger or safety stops. Green flow = success outcomes.

How to add more: See the "How to add your own flowchart" guide at the bottom of each existing flowchart page.

JUMP TO CATEGORY

🔍 Sensors 7 PAGES

Pick the right sensor
Decision tree for which sensor type to use. The flowchart students should consult BEFORE adding any sensor.
/sensors-roadmap
Limit switches + bumpers
Binary sensors as a safety-stop layer that masks driver input before it reaches the motor.
/sensors-discrete
Optical sensor
Dual-check pattern: proximity + hue, so opponent-color objects aren't grabbed by mistake.
/sensors-optical
Rotation sensor
Calibration → centidegree reading → divide by 100 → consume in 3 usage patterns.
/sensors-rotation
AprilTag detection
AI Vision snapshot loop: detect → match tag ID → extract pixel width → compute distance.
/sensors-apriltags
GPS field positioning
GPS reading + dead-reckoning fallback when the perimeter strip is occluded.
/sensors-gps
Sensor fusion — 3 sensors voting
Combine Vision + Distance + Optical so any single failure is caught by the others.
/clawbot-sensor-fusion

🔧 Debugging & Diagnosis 3 PAGES

Debugging decision tree
Start at "something's wrong" — branch through compile? respond? what behavior? Each leaf is a concrete action.
/debugging-pros
Autonomous failure modes
"Where did it fail?" → likely causes per branch (didn't move, wrong distance, drift, mechanism stall, didn't score).
/auton-failure-diagnosis
PID symptom → cause → fix
5-way decision tree mapping PID misbehavior to the specific constant to adjust.
/pid-diagnostics

🤖 Autonomous 7 PAGES

Build a new auton from scratch
Strategy → decompose → write → test loop. Each step tested in isolation before chaining.
/auton-builder
What should auton accomplish?
4-way decision: maximize points / disable opponent / guarantee score / set up driver.
/auton-strategy
Auton library + selector
Multiple routines for different matches. Brain LCD selector lets driver pick at the table.
/autonomous-hub
EZ-Template auton selector
Touch-screen UI loop for picking auton on the Brain before match starts.
/ez-auton-selector
First 6 weeks of auton exercises
Progressive 6-exercise sequence for new students. Each builds on the last.
/first-auton-exercises
Sensor-gated auton step template
The universal "start action → wait with timeout → check sensor → stop" pattern.
/sensor-auton
Wall-align auton
Drive backward to wall with confidence guard + 3s timeout.
/distance-sensor-auton

🏁 Match Operations 3 PAGES

Post-match analysis
Triage findings to the right team: hardware, software, or strategy. Log for pattern detection.
/match-analysis
Field-state reading (drivers)
In-match decision loop: scan field every 1-2 seconds, react to opponent + pieces + clock.
/match-reading
24-hour pre-event checklist
Hardware → battery → software → tools → 5 successful practice autons → ready to compete.
/pre-competition-audit

⚙️ EZ-Template + PID 6 PAGES

When to ask EZ-Assistant
Decision tree for using EZ-Assistant vs general PROS docs vs other resources.
/ez-assistant
Exit condition decisions
When does a PID move end? Three timers run in parallel for small/big/velocity exits.
/ez-exit-conditions
EZ-Template install workflow
pros conduct → fetch → apply → include → configure → build. 7-step sequence.
/ez-setup
Skills auton planning
60s routine planning — prioritize reliability over raw points.
/ez-skills
EZ function picker
"What do you want to do?" → maps to the right chassis.method() call.
/ez-template-reference
PID tuning iteration loop
Test → diagnose symptom → adjust constant → re-test, until "drives accurately."
/ez-pid-tuning

🔌 Setup & Toolchain 4 PAGES

PROS toolchain install
First-time setup: Python → PROS CLI → VS Code + extension → clone → build.
/toolchain-onboarding
VEXcode V5 install
Install → new project → paste template → clear Devices panel → build → upload.
/vexcode-setup
IMU calibration
Power on → calibrate (don't move!) → verify reads 0.0° → ready to use heading.
/imu-setup
PROS task lifecycle
Created → Running → Suspended ↔ Running → Deleted. State diagram for parallel code.
/pros-tasks

🏗️ Code Architecture 3 PAGES

How .cpp files connect
main.cpp → subsystems.hpp (extern decls) → autons.cpp / arm.cpp / other.cpp.
/code-architecture
FSM — sentry pattern
Example state machine: Idle → Searching → Approaching → Scoring → Idle. With failure transitions.
/finite-state-machine
Bang-bang control loop
Simplest control algorithm: full power on or full power off, based on above/below threshold.
/bang-bang

👋 Onboarding 1 PAGE

First 30 minutes for a new student
0-5 / 5-10 / 10-15 / 15-25 / 25-30 minute checklist. By the end: ready to contribute.
/first-30-minutes

📓 Engineering Notebook 12 PAGES

What belongs in a notebook entry
Header → context → what happened → evidence → reflection → next steps → sign.
/engineering-notebook
Sprint cycle
Plan → Design → Build → Test → Reflect, with iteration loop on sprint goal.
/design-sprint
Starting a new notebook
First entry template — date, role, goal, did, result, next, sign.
/notebook-start
Sprint checkpoint workflow
When to mark a milestone. Different from daily entries — judges look for these.
/notebook-checkpoints
Brainstorm → notebook entry
Divergent (generate many) → cluster → convergent (evaluate, pick) → document.
/notebook-brainstorm-workflow
Notebook hierarchy
How entries connect across phases. Judges trace a complete story problem → solution.
/notebook-pathway
Daily notebook operations
15-minute daily ritual that keeps the notebook current.
/notebook-operations
Notebook audit
2-week pre-event audit: check all EDP phases, decision matrices, evidence.
/notebook-audit
BOM → notebook entry
Every BOM change produces a notebook entry. BOM is the snapshot; notebook is the history.
/bom-to-notebook
Role-specific entries
What each role (driver, builder, programmer, strategist, lead) should document.
/role-notebook
Budget tracking workflow
Track expenses against budget, document approvals, flag overruns.
/budget-notebook-entry
Adding a sensor — notebook entry
Notebook workflow for when you add a sensor to the robot.
/notebook-sensor-template